The Relationship Between Symptom Severity and Caregiver Burden in Cancer Patients Under Palliative Care: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction Hospitalization is a stressful experience both for primary caregivers (PCs) and cancer patients alike. Although there is significant evidence that PCs of cancer patients can experience significant caregiver burden (CB), less is known about the relationships between PCs and patient symptom severity that influence CB. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, measures of the symptom severity were obtained from cancer patients. The PCs were assessed for CB. Associations between patients' symptoms and demographic characteristics and CB were investigated using multivariate analyses. Results: A total of 98 participants (patient-caregiver dyads) filled the questionnaires. According to the Zarit Burden Interview results, 65.3% of PCs had a high CB. Pain, tiredness, nausea, depression, drowsiness, well-being, and dyspnea had significantly higher mean values in those with high CB (p < .05). Financial difficulties, first-degree relationships with the patient, higher anxiety levels, and more pronounced tiredness appear to be the variables most predictive with high CB. Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study showed CB of PCs among a group of hospitalized incurable cancer patients. PCs of more symptomatic cancer patients had a higher CB, according to our findings. This emphasized the significance of palliative care. Appropriate guidance should be provided for the psychostress caused by the CB

Sarcopenia assessment by new EWGSOP2 criteria for predicting chemotherapy dose-limiting toxicity in patients with gastrointestinal tract tumors

Introduction In 2019, The EWGSOP2 group made updates on the definition and diagnosis of sarcopenia. The aim of this study is to determine the possible risk factors for chemotherapy dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). Methods Newly diagnosed gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients were included in this prospective observational study. Chemotherapy DLTs were recorded in patients receiving platinum-based therapy. The patients were divided into two groups according to the current sarcopenia criteria. Results 75 patients were included in the final analysis. Chemotherapy DLT occurred in 52% (n = 39) of all patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy. DLT rates were 78.9% and 42.9% in sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic patients, respectively (p = 0.007). According to the results of the multivariate analysis, the only sarcopenia was found as a statistically significant risk factor for DLT. Conclusion Assessment of sarcopenia evaluated with the current EWGSOP2 diagnostic criteria is useful in predicting chemotherapy DLT development in patients with a diagnosis of GI cancer. In the future, current EWGSOP2 recommendations should be considered while designing a study investigating the correlation between sarcopenia and chemotoxicity